Planners approve 12-storey Lord Street development

Plans for a major 12-storey development in Douglas featuring 85 apartments, a cinema, commercial units and a bus information centre have been approved.

The multi-million pound development will be built on the site of the former Lord Street bus station.

Earlier this month, the island's planning committee decided not to accept an officer's recommendation to refuse the development over the lack of inclusion of plans for affordable housing.

However, the committee has now supported a motion put forward by Chairman Rob Callister, who argued the redevelopment of the site was better than allowing the site to remain unoccupied.

"Over the past 20 years, the site has generated no economic activity, contributed nothing in terms of jobs, business rates, or footfall, and has missed multiple regeneration opportunities relating to housing, retail, and community use," said Callister.

"While I do not agree with every aspect of the application, I cannot support allowing this site to remain vacant for another 10 years."

The development will also include office space, public toilets, a bus driver welfare area, five bus stands on Lord Street with associated waiting areas, and 94 private parking spaces.

Under Manx planning rules, developers need to include a 25% provision of affordable housing units if projected profit margins surpass 20%.

However, in some cases a one-off payment, or a commuted sum, can be agreed if such units are not provided.

The committee agreed that if the developer's return was equal to or more than 17.5%, funds should be directed to affordable housing, capped at £1.1m, and public open space contributions, capped at £73,000.

The plans were formally resubmitted by Lord Street Development SPV Limited in April, after previous proposals by the firm's partner on the project, Wyyttavin, were withdrawn following a family bereavement.

Speaking at the hearing, one objector said while members supported development at the site, they did not support this development since it was "poor" and "unviable".

Committee member Sam Skelton said he felt he was "stuck between a rock and a hard place".

"I would love to see this go ahead," he said, but because the island had "such clear policies, I can't turn away from those".

Fellow member Matthew Warren said while he was "not comfortable" with a lower contribution towards affordable housing, he believed it was a "net positive" for the island.

Meanwhile Helen Hughes said there were "lots of benefits for this proposal and this development", which she believed "outweigh the policy conflicts".

In correspondence read out in the meeting from Conor Bradley from Lord Street Development SPV Ltd, he said the scheme provided "substantial public infrastructure" and argued that affordable housing criteria "does not translate well to a mixed-use scheme".

The committee approved the plans by four votes to two.

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